William Gallas close to Tottenham Hotspur return

Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Steffen Freund has revealed that William Gallas is back in full training and close to a first-team return.

Gallas has been out since suffering a calf strain against Aston Villa on Boxing Day and has missed Spurs' last five matches in all competitions.

Freund believes that this weekend's FA Cup tie against Leeds United may come too soon for the experienced Frenchman but is pleased to have the centre-back on the road to full fitness.

He told the club's official website: "William trained today for the first time.

"I'm not sure about [being in] the squad, but William is back after his injury and at the moment, he looks good."

The 35-year-old has formed part of a double fitness boost for boss Andre Villas-Boas this week after Jan Vertonghen shrugged of an illness to return to training.

The news will come as welcome relief for Villas-Boas, who found out last week that he will be without Sandro for the rest of the season with a knee injury.